Men and Mental Health in the Damage Management Industry
Date: 15th May 2025
Category:
The BDMA reflects on Mental Health Awareness week 2025, and has interviewed James Halls – who draws on his own personal journey and offers advice to others.
🎙 Interview with James Halls, BDMA Director & Director at Response Network
Topic: Men’s Mental Health in the Industry
Topic: Men’s Mental Health in the Industry
Q: James, when it comes to wellbeing, what area do you feel most passionate or experienced about?
James Halls:
I feel experienced in many of the below but I will concentrate on the men and mentals health one as that is more of a bigger issue in and outside of our industry.
I feel experienced in many of the below but I will concentrate on the men and mentals health one as that is more of a bigger issue in and outside of our industry.
Q: Can you share more about your personal experience with mental health?
James Halls:
I have suffered with mental health issues for many years but was always too shy/ proud to speak about it to anyone—typical of the majority of men—especially men of an age of 30–40. We are caught up way too much in the lad type behaviour and the need to put on a brave face and be strong. We think that any signs of mental illness is a sign of weakness and makes us less manly.
I have suffered with mental health issues for many years but was always too shy/ proud to speak about it to anyone—typical of the majority of men—especially men of an age of 30–40. We are caught up way too much in the lad type behaviour and the need to put on a brave face and be strong. We think that any signs of mental illness is a sign of weakness and makes us less manly.
Q: What kind of impact did that have on you over time?
James Halls:
After dealing with depression for most of my adult life, the constant self need to people please—which is what I felt that I needed to do to prove some kind of self worth—eventually takes its toll.
After dealing with depression for most of my adult life, the constant self need to people please—which is what I felt that I needed to do to prove some kind of self worth—eventually takes its toll.
Q: Was there a particular point where things became overwhelming?
James Halls:
3 years ago, added with the combined pressures of home life where I left the marital home, struggled with being a part-time dad and to an extent, Covid on top of the pressures of building a relatively new business in an industry where the financial strains are felt daily, it eventually took its toll. I became totally withdrawn and as a result I could not function. My cup was full and any small task made it overflow—I couldn’t decide what I wanted to eat for dinner—even this was too much to take no matter how trivial it now seems!
3 years ago, added with the combined pressures of home life where I left the marital home, struggled with being a part-time dad and to an extent, Covid on top of the pressures of building a relatively new business in an industry where the financial strains are felt daily, it eventually took its toll. I became totally withdrawn and as a result I could not function. My cup was full and any small task made it overflow—I couldn’t decide what I wanted to eat for dinner—even this was too much to take no matter how trivial it now seems!
Q: What helped you start turning things around?
James Halls:
It took a very close friend and the love of then girlfriend to actually call out what was going on, no matter how much I tried to deny it and ‘put on the brave face’ once again. My close friends staged almost an intervention which in hindsight probably saved my life. I never knew how much people cared for me, as in my head I thought nobody cared. What I realise now is that people really do. The amount of support I received from them all has helped get me where I am today—my wife made me get counselling which I must say is the best thing I ever did. Don’t get me wrong, I still lied for the first few months pretending all was ok but soon realised this was not going to help me get any better. I was ill and I needed the right people to get me better and I needed to be honest with myself.
It took a very close friend and the love of then girlfriend to actually call out what was going on, no matter how much I tried to deny it and ‘put on the brave face’ once again. My close friends staged almost an intervention which in hindsight probably saved my life. I never knew how much people cared for me, as in my head I thought nobody cared. What I realise now is that people really do. The amount of support I received from them all has helped get me where I am today—my wife made me get counselling which I must say is the best thing I ever did. Don’t get me wrong, I still lied for the first few months pretending all was ok but soon realised this was not going to help me get any better. I was ill and I needed the right people to get me better and I needed to be honest with myself.
Q: Looking back, what would you tell others who might be struggling silently?
James Halls:
If only I would have known sooner that there are people out there to help, and I am lucky enough to have the best friends and family to help and support me. I feel way more comfortable talking about this now—far more than I ever thought—and always try to help anyone I can see having similar issues and traits as I had and still do on some occasions. For me it will never go away—I still suffer with the anxiety and odd sleepless night but I know how to manage, reason and ‘talk myself off the metaphorical cliff’ thanks to the help I had.
If only I would have known sooner that there are people out there to help, and I am lucky enough to have the best friends and family to help and support me. I feel way more comfortable talking about this now—far more than I ever thought—and always try to help anyone I can see having similar issues and traits as I had and still do on some occasions. For me it will never go away—I still suffer with the anxiety and odd sleepless night but I know how to manage, reason and ‘talk myself off the metaphorical cliff’ thanks to the help I had.
🧠Mental health is not a weakness—it’s part of being human. Thank you, James, for your honesty and leadership in sharing this vital message.